In August 1960, three months prior to his election as US president, Senator John F. Kennedy held an informal economics seminar aboard his boat, the Marlin. He invited prominent economists Seymour Harris and Paul Samuelson to explain the principles of 'the new economics,' a term for the Keynesian theories developed in response to the Great Depression. This meeting highlights Kennedy's proactive effort to ground his future presidential policies in contemporary economic thought.

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John F. Kennedy, an American politician, developed a keen interest in economic policy, an interest profoundly shaped by his experiences as a teenager during the Great Depression of the 1930s. To deepen his understanding of modern economic theories, he sought out prominent economists. In August 1960, just before his presidential election, he met with Seymour Harris and Paul Samuelson to learn about 'the new economics' (Keynesianism). His education continued after this initial briefing, with Harris providing him with private lessons.

John F. Kennedy

To cite the ebook, use The CORE Econ Team 2023 The Economy 2.0: Macroeconomics Open access e-text https://core-econ.org/the-economy/.

To cite a unit, use The CORE Econ Team 2023 The Economy 2.0: Macroeconomics Open access e-text https://core-econ.org/the-economy/ Unit [unit number] (url).

CORE Econ - The Economy 2.0: Macroeconomics

John F. Kennedy's engagement with economics was driven by his need to understand policies that could achieve a specific set of national objectives. These goals included fostering economic growth, lowering unemployment, and preventing both economic instability and inflation.

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